September Book Review

The Eye of God

By: James Rollins

I picked up this book at the very well stocked, ad hoc bookstore at the PNWA writers conference I attended earlier this summer. Again, it was not a book I would ordinarily choose, but something about it grabbed me and I thought I’d give it a try. 

It must have been the combination of physics, history, a mystery, and an adventure that caught my eye. More than anything though I was curious to see if the author putting all these disparate elements together could still make the book readable and the story plausible. I’m pleased to report that the author succeeded and when reading the book I found myself unable to put it down. 

Some of the elements in the story are: a satellite sent up to study a passing meteor comes crashing down to earth in an inaccessible part of Mongolia, a very old book, bound in human skin, gets delivered to a researcher and priest at the Vatican, setting off a mystery. Then there are the Triads in Hong Kong who weave in and out as well. All the stories converge when Sigma Force, an elite black ops type of team, goes in search of the satellite, because it holds the key to preventing a global cataclysm. But the mystery surrounding the book is somehow tied up in that as well. 

So much happens in the book and at such a fast pace that I can hardly begin to describe it, but the history and science are very well researched and woven into the tale. I now know more about Genghis Khan than before and also about quantum physics, which, as you know, is something I’m always eager to learn more about. I also learned about biohacking which sounds fascinating, but I’m not sure I’m up for trying it.

The violence again was something I could have done without, but it made sense to the story and this author is, thankfully, not that graphic in his descriptions. He also shows remarkable respect toward women and even has a couple of his characters look for ways to ease the suffering of women and children, when they are finally free to do so. 

All in all, a richly woven narrative with strong characters and an excellent balance of fact and fiction. I’m eager to read more by this author.